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Childhood is a transitional period in which the foundation for adulthood is laid. The Buddha’s childhood functions as a foreshadowing of the man to come. This chapter considers some of the episodes in the Buddha’s childhood as told by the early hagiographers, in the hopes of unlocking a pivotal hagiographical question: why did the Buddha leave home? What were the circumstances surrounding his youth that motivated, and indeed even justified, his Great Departure? In the process of exploring these questions, a range of Buddhist worldviews emerges, with each hagiography revealing its particular...

Childhood is a transitional period in which the foundation for adulthood is laid. The Buddha’s childhood functions as a foreshadowing of the man to come. This chapter considers some of the episodes in the Buddha’s childhood as told by the early hagiographers, in the hopes of unlocking a pivotal hagiographical question: why did the Buddha leave home? What were the circumstances surrounding his youth that motivated, and indeed even justified, his Great Departure? In the process of exploring these questions, a range of Buddhist worldviews emerges, with each hagiography revealing its particular stance on the Buddha’s person and his potential for transformation.